Billy Corgan 2024-10-23 (late show)

October 23, 2024 – Highland Park, IL, US
Live performance by Billy Corgan
Artist	Billy Corgan
Date	October 23, 2024
Venue	Madame ZuZu's
Coordinates	42°11′11″N 87°48′2″W
Location	Highland Park, IL, US
Venue type	Teahouse
Capacity	300
Personnel	Billy Corgan
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Songbook by WPC

“ I consider the gift of song to be the greatest gift of all in music; for the writer is able to crystallize a moment in time and, in turn, share that same gift with others in an act of endless revelation. So whether I choose the song of another or, selfishly, one hewn from my own hands and heart, the Songbook series is meant to celebrate the art in its native and most personal form. ” — Billy Corgan

Setlist

1. "Dancehall" (acoustic) 
2. "Don't Change" [INXS] (acoustic) (live debut)
3. "Zowie" (acoustic) 
4. "Stumbleine" (acoustic) 
5. "The Spaniards" (acoustic) 
6. "Shine On, Harvest Moon" [Ruth Etting] (acoustic) (live debut)
7. "Wrath" (acoustic) 
8. "Landslide" [Stevie Nicks] (acoustic) 
9. "Pony Express" (acoustic) 
10. "Age of Innocence" (acoustic) 
11. "1979" (acoustic) 
12. "ToLoveSomebody" [Bee Gees] (acoustic) 
13. "Travels" (acoustic) 
14. "Cri de Coeur" (acoustic) 
15. "To Scatter One's Own" (acoustic) 
16. "A Satisfied Mind" [Red Foley] (acoustic) (live debut)
17. "The Long Goodbye" (acoustic) 

Banter

(incomplete due to lack of full show source)

Dancehall
Don't Change
Zowie
Stumbleine
BC: [cuts in] ...the first show that, um...my two solo acoustic albums, one came out as William Patrick Corgan and one came out as Billy Corgan. And uh, the streaming services don’t count those as one name, so one record’d end up in one place and one record..., so now they’re all under Billy Corgan ‘cause that’s apparently who I am, (clears throat), whether I wanna be or not. Um...but my name is William, by the way. (one person claps loudly) Yes, I was named after my father. (after no crowd reaction; to himself but on mic) Okay. (normal) But technically I’m not a Junior, even though they call me Junior in my family, ‘cause my father was William Dale and I’m William Patrick. And why am I William Patrick? Because...I was born on St. Patrick’s Day. Hump Day, Chicago, right? Green -- green river, Da Bears, see, it all comes together.
The Spaniards (abandoned immediately when Billy realizes his harmonica isn’t where it’s supposed to be)
BC: Shit, sorry. (grabs harmonica and begins affixing it to microphone stand) There’s a famous story where Bob Dylan was playing Ravinia...and he asked -- he didn’t have a harmonica in the right key, so...people threw their harmonicas onstage. (short pause) I think I met the guy who threw the harmonica, I was like, is it like a thing? It’s not supposed to be funny but it is kind of oddly funny. You know, like 40 years later, you’re like “I’m the guy”, you know? (short pause) I love awkward, so this is like, I could do this all day. Amazing how much better the show got when the martini shaking stopped...(gestures to Chloe off camera across the room) my love.
The Spaniards
Shine On, Harvest Moon
BC: I hear my son talking. (stretches and makes a noise) Maybe he’s shaking the martinis now. [cuts]
Wrath
Landslide
BC: [cuts in] ...played this song for over 20 years, so I hope you enjoy it, it’s called The Pony Express.
Pony Express
Age of Innocence
BC: Like to play this one for you. Wrote this at my house at...well, I shouldn’t say the address. It’s for sale though, the house, like...if you see it online, it’s a purple Victorian house. I was kind of shocked ‘cause my childhood home was for sale and they listed me in the name but they didn’t list me on the name of this house. I’ve fallen out of favor in -- in Wrigleyville. But I did write this song.
1979 (abandoned after 5 seconds)
BC: Don’t you think that warrants this song? You’d think I get a little...mention.
1979 (abandoned after 4 seconds when the crowd cheers)
BC: It’s like a Friday night, woo!
1979
BC: [cuts in] No lovers in the crowd? Well, that’s, uh -- this is for the lovers that may [unintelligible word]. I can’t talk about the biology in front of my children. Are you leaving? C’mere, say hi.
Philomena: (very quietly) Bye bye.
BC: She said bye bye. Hey, wait, show ‘em your dance moves real quick. What happened to the dancing?
Philomena: (off mic) I don’t wanna dance.
BC: You don’t wanna dance. Is he leaving too?
Chloe: (off mic) Yeah.
BC: Where is he?
Chloe: (off mic) Working the line.
BC: Oh, he’s leaving?
Chloe: (off mic) You’re taking him?
BC: Is he leaving or he’s staying? You’re taking him? Well, she didn’t come goodbye. AJC! (pause) I’m just stalling for time, really. Come on up here, handsome. (Augustus comes on stage) Ha! I said, “What’s wrong?” He said, “You’re wrong.” He is a Corgan. (Billy talks to Augustus off mic) He’s very angry. Why you angry? (Billy talks to Augustus off mic) Oh, he’s angry when there’s too many people. (Augustus tells Billy something off mic) Oh. You’re not a big enough crowd. See you later, you elitist. (Augustus begins leaving the stage) Wanna give ‘em one dance move? One dance move? (Augustus gives one dance move and then walks behind the stage) (off mic) Get out of there! Get out of there! Get out of there! (Augustus appears to be lying down behind the stage trying to grab a miniature pumpkin) Get out of there! (into mic) He doesn’t undershand [sic], uh, show biz. (Billy is holding the pumpkin and Augustus says something to him) You want to eat the pumpkin?
Augustus: (off mic) Yes!
BC: (giving Augustus the pumpkin and gently pushing him off stage) Get out of my section.
Augustus: (from off stage) I curse you!
BC: Hey, the apple doesn’t fall far from the tree, I guess. That’s the best part. Thank you for indulging me. Okay. For the lovers.
To Love Somebody
Travels
Cri de Coeur
To Scatter One's Own
A Satisfied Mind
BC: [cuts in] There’s love to make, taxes to pay. Children to beat. Songs to write. Anybody want a pick? (he flicks a pick into the audience) Sorry about that. Reminds me of the story that, uh, Jimmy went to hit a cymbal once and it slid out of his hand, so he hit the cymbal and it slid out his hand and I saw it fly by my head, like, just, (short wind noise). Then it hit a guy in the front row right between the eyes. And uh, he was bleeding, like, like this (gesturing profuse bleeding from the forehead). And uh, we’d always been told by our management back in the day: “Don’t throw anything in the crowd, you’ll get sued.” So, you know, “You took out my eye with a pick!” And um, and uh, so the whole show we’re looking at each other, like “Oh my god, we’re gonna get sued, this guy’s bleeding.” And then we came off stage and it’s like, “The guy’s waiting, he wants to meet you guys.” And Jimmy’s like (gesturing jittery).... And the guy’s like, “Bro, can you sign my stick?” (to person in crowd) Is your eye okay? (laughing) Anyway, sorry about that. Try it one more time. (throws another pick) There we go. That’s what’s supposed to happen.
Guy in crowd: She plays for the White Sox.
BC: Oh, we got a White Sox joke. Went right to the White Sox. I’ll say this much about the White Sox. Uh...when I was a kid in the ‘70s, all before you were born, um...was anyone born in the ‘70s? Uh, my mother used to get, uh, free tickets every year to go to the White Sox, so I used to go to the White Sox games too, when I was a kid. And when they were in the World Series in 2005...? It’s been a while, been a while. And uh, I was excited for them and uh, I went to the games and uh, I got a very South Side reception, you know? Anyone from the Southside here? Okay, so you appreciate this, so...you know, I go to the Cubs -- I go to the Sox game and I’m there and it’s the World Series, I’m excited. Who were they playing, does anyone remember? Houston Astros, right. And uh...they took ‘em out of the National League, I’m still against that, I’m a purist and I remember the old uniforms, they were so cool, you know? Anyway, so uh, everywhere I went in Comiskey, it was like, (thick Chicago accent) “What the fuck you doin’ here?” (normal voice) I was like, “I’m here to support the team to win the World Series and I’m from Chicago.” “Yeah, but you’re a Cubs fan.” So this goes out to the Sox. Yeah. Because, um, I-I wrote this song when I was recording, uh, with Rick Rubin in 2017, somewhere around there. And Rick Rubin pulled me aside and said “Is this song about aliens?” And I said, “Actually, it is, it’s true.” And uh, so I dedicate this to the Sox, ‘cause they’re gonna need to leave the planet. But I would happily be on the spaceship with them. See, that’s the picture in my mind, you know, the...the Wilbur Wood era, the shorts, remember they had to wear the shorts? Bill Veeck, Bill Veeck. Me, Wilbur Wood, Bill Veeck and the 2024 White Sox on a...on a spacecraft going to...Uranus. Heh, that’s the problem with getting old, it’s like I don’t know what a dad joke is anymore. Okay, this is the last song, thank you so much again. Thank you so much.
The Long Goodbye